My thoughts Rotterdam August 21 - September 11

[colin v]

Just completed 21 days on the beautiful Rotterdam.  A quick review of as many things as I can recall. 
 

Thanks to the members of this forum we were prepared for the change of embarkation to Rotterdam. A quick train ride from Amsterdam solved that problem. The $100 HAL credit was nice but didn’t really cover our added expenses (more so the taxi to the airport this morning 200 euros)

 

VeriFLY worked well. We just needed to convince the lady in charge of the waiting area to allow us to pass. 
 

Room keys were not at our stateroom. It took 4 attempts to finally receive keys that worked. Stateroom 5204 was pleasant. We enjoyed the aft facing room. It bothered me the TV was not centered to the bed but I quickly got over that. 
 

HIA internet was quickly upgraded to premium for $85 each. It wasn’t great internet so I am unsure of the upgrade was worth it. 
 

Orange club restaurant was great. The food was plentiful enough. The staff were excellent. If you have the pleasure of Ardi serving you say hi from Colin and Deborah. He truly is fantastic. Hostess Elena takes great care of her guests. Looks like we may meet her again in February in the Caribbean. 
 

We stayed away from any extra curricular activities on board to minimize our exposure to COVID except for Night 1. We figured that was going to be our best chance to have our mask off at a bar and not catch the dreaded virus. As of this morning we are still negative.

 

Norway was spectacular. 
 

Iceland was spectacular. 
 

Scotland was okay. Missed Lerwick due to rough seas. Interesting to be in Edinburgh with the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Our tickets to the castle were cancelled and refunded. 

 

We only went to the main stage one time (final night). The show was okay.
 

The biggest BY FAR negative is our fellow passengers. Common courtesy goes a long way. Please, thank you, excuse me just a few of the terms they should write in the basics handbook that is provided. Just because you start a new branch of a 500 person line wherever you feel like it (generally at the very front) does not make you special. If you have a cough stay in your room. One guest nearly hacked up lung while dining. Didn’t see any of him at the last 2 dinners. If you’re physically able and the first one on a tender don’t take the handicapped seat so you can get off faster. You’re just selfish. I can go on but you get the picture. 
 

if you are quarantined stay in your room. Twice we passed a quarantined passenger in the hall as she opened her stateroom door to get some fresh air.  We know she was PCR + because she left a handwritten note in the mail slot saying she didn’t need service any longer due to her positive test. 
 

Careful in the tenders. They are very slippery. One of our orange club diners slipped and broke her arm in Edinburgh. Surgery for her this week when she arrives home.  
 

The air from your mouth and nose comes and goes from the same spot. If you’re courteous enough to wear a mask, wear it properly.  If you’re not courteous enough to wear a mask and only wearing it because the ship reaches its COVID threshold, wear it properly. 

[colin v]

One last thought. Schiphol airport is busy but not as crazy as expected. We did make it from the taxi to the lounge in 40 minutes. 10 of those minutes were spent looking for the lounge. 
 

I did download the airport app which told me which terminal and which check in desk. That helped immensely. 

[NavyCruiser]

Thanks for your thoughts. 

We're boarding her today, so hope everything goes well...

[colin v]

40 minutes ago, NavyCruiser said:

Thanks for your thoughts. 

We're boarding her today, so hope everything goes well...

We were told there should be ~2400 on today. We had ~2700 pax for the last 14 days. 

Have a great trip. 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing your comments.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise, sorry some of the other passengers on the cruise were less than stellar.

[Lady Arwen]

We’re on the September 2023 sailing to the Baltics.  Hopefully, things will have improved somewhat by then with Covid restrictions.  We’ll mask up if need be, however.  How awful you experienced such rudeness from some fellow passengers.  Honestly, we’ve never had to deal with that on HAL.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, as we’re so looking forward to our cruise on Rotterdam.

[albingirl]

Thanks for your review.  Too bad about the rudeness, however.  I've seen it too but really been mostly annoyed when passengers speak to the staff as though they don't understand English.  You know, like they have to yell out their orders.  Makes me cringe.  Covid rudeness, sign of the times. Unfortunately.

[Mary229]

Those euro taxi fares are only going to keep increasing.   There are fuel surcharges drivers are allowed to charge.  That is double what I paid in May.   Thanks for the review.  If you want a more veteran and perhaps more cultured  group of travelers try sailing off season.  

[NCTribeFan]

I'll be on her for 26 nights starting from FLL next April for the re-vamped Anniversary TA sailing plus another 10 nights.  I sailed Koningsdam and really loved the ship, so I expect I'll love Rotterdam also.  And I upgraded to Club Orange (for the 16-night TA; added the following 10 later as separate casino bookings and can't do CO since they're 2 5-night sailings).  Really looking forward to having that separate dining room!

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 

[NavyCruiser]

Just got onboard & sailing away now.  

Now sorta understand OPs frustration with fellow passengers.   After 35+ cruises on various cruise lines, and this is only our 2nd on HAL, with our 1st 25 years ago, it is very markedly a much older crowd, with many European travelers. 

Many talk very loud, maybe from the language barrier,  or from being hard of hearing. 

Also , seems like a lot are used to be treated special because of their elderly status at home, but here while boarding long lines in the terminal port & in the Buffet, everyone are elderly & they're not the only special ones while onboard.

[MAVIP]

12 hours ago, colin v said:

Just completed 21 days on the beautiful Rotterdam.  A quick review of as many things as I can recall. 
 

Thanks to the members of this forum we were prepared for the change of embarkation to Rotterdam. A quick train ride from Amsterdam solved that problem. The $100 HAL credit was nice but didn’t really cover our added expenses (more so the taxi to the airport this morning 200 euros)

 

VeriFLY worked well. We just needed to convince the lady in charge of the waiting area to allow us to pass. 
 

The biggest BY FAR negative is our fellow passengers. Common courtesy goes a long way. Please, thank you, excuse me just a few of the terms they should write in the basics handbook that is provided. Just because you start a new branch of a 500 person line wherever you feel like it (generally at the very front) does not make you special. If you have a cough stay in your room. One guest nearly hacked up lung while dining. Didn’t see any of him at the last 2 dinners. If you’re physically able and the first one on a tender don’t take the handicapped seat so you can get off faster. You’re just selfish. I can go on but you get the picture. 
 

if you are quarantined stay in your room. Twice we passed a quarantined passenger in the hall as she opened her stateroom door to get some fresh air.  We know she was PCR + because she left a handwritten note in the mail slot saying she didn’t need service any longer due to her positive test. 
 

The air from your mouth and nose comes and goes from the same spot. If you’re courteous enough to wear a mask, wear it properly.  If you’re not courteous enough to wear a mask and only wearing it because the ship reaches its COVID threshold, wear it properly. 

Thanks! I agree with your observations. Luckily it was only a part of the passengers.

 

[BetsyS.]

6 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Just got onboard & sailing away now.  

Now sorta understand OPs frustration with fellow passengers.   After 35+ cruises on various cruise lines, and this is only our 2nd on HAL, with our 1st 25 years ago, it is very markedly a much older crowd, with many European travelers. 

Many talk very loud, maybe from the language barrier,  or from being hard of hearing. 

Also , seems like a lot are used to be treated special because of their elderly status at home, but here while boarding long lines in the terminal port & in the Buffet, everyone are elderly & they're not the only special ones while onboard.

I was on the Niew Statendam in August. I had breakfast and lunch in the Lido.

Every day there were people who cut to the front of the line.  The crew knew 

who had been waiting their turn and helped them.

[MAVIP]

11 hours ago, BetsyS. said:

I was on the Niew Statendam in August. I had breakfast and lunch in the Lido.

Every day there were people who cut to the front of the line.  The crew knew 

who had been waiting their turn and helped them.

Was always a problem and the reason that HAL had signs with: "the Line starts here"). I didi not see them anymore on the Rotterdam in May and last few weeks... Many new (cruise-)passengers from seem not to understand a "line system".  (And as I noticed: quite a few different nationalities....).

[VMax1700]

On 9/11/2022 at 9:24 AM, colin v said:

taxi to the airport this morning 200 euros

We also got off Rotterdam yesterday.  I had pre booked a taxi with staxi.nl and the fixed price to Schiphol was €124.  On August 26th the fare from Schiphol to Rotterdam was €108 also pre booked with staxi.nl.

For us Schiphol was a nightmare.   Our flight was not until 9.40pm so we had to spend most of the day meandering the plaza area.  When I was doing the online checkin 48 hours before the flight I received a pop up asking if either of us needed assistance to the gate. Luckily I said that DW needed assistance to the gate otherwise we would not have made the flight.  The captain even held the flight for 45 minutes beyond scheduled departure and still had to off load some baggage as the pax did not arrive in time.

[VMax1700]

On 9/11/2022 at 10:16 PM, MAVIP said:

Luckily it was only a part of the passengers

Absolutely!  It is strange that even after a minimum of 12 days on a 14 day cruise some pax still did not know (or want to know) which way the line went.  However HAL could really have helped pax and staff by having a few 'Line starts here' notices specially in Lido.

[NavyCruiser]

Currently halfway through our cruise onboard rotterdam.  Seems like Over 60% are Europeans, mostly Dutch, & we feel most are nice & friendly, and refreshingly delightful...